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The James Harrison era lasted one year. The Bengals announced Thursday they have released the 36-year-old outside linebacker.

Harrison signed a two-year deal as the biggest free agency pickup by the Bengals last offseason but became expendable due to limited snaps and emerging, young reserves.

The move terminates his $2.03 million cap hit while adding $600k in dead money for an overall cap savings of $1.43 million.

"It's time for us to go a different direction now, with some younger guys," Marvin Lewis said. "But we will all still reap benefits from having had James with us as a Bengal last year."

The 2008 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year with the Pittsburgh Steelers had been to five Pro Bowls before joining the Bengals for a season. His role was diminished at run stopping outside linebacker playing against a high number of teams with spread passing attacks.

He played 383 snaps, a number half as many as middle linebacker Rey Maualuga and one-third of every-down backer Vontaze Burfict.

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer creatively found snaps shifting Harrison to the defensive line late in the season. He saw action in 15 games, with 10 starts, and had 40 tackles, two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

Harrison tweeted a thank you to fans early in the afternoon and the team officially announced his release moments later.

Many thanks to all the @Bengals fans for your support over the last year - I had a great time in Cincinnati.

"It was great for our coaches, players and fans to have James on our team last year," Lewis said. "He's a player everyone looks up to because of his ability, his accomplishments and his drive to be the best. He helped us win a division title with his play and with the example he set."

Lewis now relies on a collection of players in their first four seasons to rise into his role.

At the top of the list are two players who missed 2013 with injuries. Emmanuel Lamur was set for a significant amount of snaps last year before dislocating his shoulder in the preseason. Lamur beefed up his frame to 6-foot-4, 240 pounds following a rookie year where he shined in coverage and even started the playoff loss in Houston.

Cincinnati drafted Sean Porter in the fourth round last year only to see him go out for the year with a shoulder injury of his own, but he also excelled in coverage at Texas A&M.

Also in play at linebacker is breakout star from 2014 Vinny Rey and undrafted free agent Jayson DiManche, who focused on special teams. Rey can play all three linebacker positions but filled in as a middle linebacker when Rey Maualuga went down last year. He is currently a restricted free agent, meaning the Bengals can choose to match any offer.

HAWK IN THE WINDOW: The Cleveland Browns finally sent in the offer sheet signed by restricted free agent Andrew Hawkins on Thursday and reports have it front loaded at $10.8 million over the first two years of the deal.

That number would make him the second-highest paid receiver on the Bengals and a difficult figure to match for a player currently fourth down their list of wideouts.

The Bengals are now in a five-day window where they can choose to match the offer or allow Hawkins to join the Browns.

Since Cincinnati placed the lowest of the three tender levels at $1.41 million on Hawkins the compensation for a restricted free agent leaving is the round in which they were drafted. Since Hawkins was undrafted the Bengals would receive nothing in return.